Inbox: The View From Clackistan

Ever since OTP sent
out that ridiculous “Women’s Voters Guide,” I’ve been looking into
them.... I knew that following the money was the key. You’ve answered a
lot of my questions about Stimson Lumber’s motivation. It’s a smart
strategy; one I hope backfires.

There’s more to look
at, though. Like the utter arrogance of statements like, “We aren’t
against growth; just smart growth,” and slogans like, “Stop Portland
Creep,” which really means, “Let’s build on all the rural reserves
around Langdon Farms Golf Club.”

I hope Oregon voters
are smart enough to see past the surface of this kind of false
advertising. What OTP and Stimson Lumber really want is to get rid of
regulations, the urban growth boundary, environmental concerns, and
anything else that stands in the way of them making more and more money.
Forget about preserving Oregon’s natural resources and beauty, let’s
just have urban sprawl, lots of paved-over farmland, clear-cut forests,
and guys like [Andrew] Miller with tons of cash in their pockets.

I don’t know when terms like “smart growth” became something to rally against. Good grief.

—“Cindy Abernethy”

I like this Miller guy. He believes something in rural Oregon is worth fighting for. Good luck to him.

—“darken 7”

Thanks for confirming the “Stop Portland
Creep” thing is really about large landowners, construction, and
real-estate interests wanting to be able to maximize their returns by
maximizing sprawl. The best way to keep that idyllic-looking Clackamas
on their billboard is to vote against [John] Ludlow, [Tootie] Smith and
the other Stimson stooges.

—“Tom D”

I am happy to report that Milwaukie is more progressive
than most people think. We are a city made up of many fine
ex-Portlanders (creeps) like myself. As a city, we voted for funding the
Sellwood Bridge and against the last poorly written anti-light-rail
measure. It’s too bad we get lumped in with the real creeps like Tootie
[Smith] and [John] Ludlow. Milwaukie rules!

—“Mandy Zelinka”

LARDO VS. SHUT UP AND EAT

I live between the two places [“Shut Up, Lardo,” WW,
Oct. 31, 2012] and I have tried Shut Up and Eat two to three times
since it opened, but I have to fight the magnetic pull of Lardo every
day. While Shut Up and Eat sandwiches are pretty solid, for me they’re
several notches below Lardo’s sandwiches as far as taste and quality....

Now, that’s just my
opinion, but from the strong reactions of some other Lardo fans, I
gather that I might not be in the minority here. I think for many people
who tried both places, the superiority of Lardo is obvious.

—“Martinica Papucaru”

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